Taking Flight

WINNER OF THE BISTO HONOUR AWARD FOR WRITING AND THE CHILDREN'S CHOICE AWARD

WINNER OF A WHITE RAVEN AWARD FROM THE INTERNATIONAL YOUTH LIBRARY

SHORTLISTED FOR THE READING ASSOCIATION OF IRELAND AWARDS

IBBY 2012 HONOUR LIST (WRITING CATEGORY)

'Beyond the fence everything is dark, but in here is our own lit-up world. Just me and Flight. Our breath snakes into the night like the aftermath of a firework.’

The only riding fifteen-year-old Declan has ever done is joyriding. When he’s forced to stay with his snobby cousin ‘Princess’ Vicky, he’s shocked to find himself falling in love with horses. Vicky would do anything to keep Declan out of her already perfect life and away from her precious showjumper, Flight, no matter who gets hurt...

Moving from a harsh Belfast housing estate to the glamour of the showjumping ring, Taking Flight is a fast-paced story full of conflict, jealousy and courage.

PRAISE FOR TAKING FLIGHT:

'A powerful and convincing debut novel'  Anna Carey, The Irish Times

'This masterfully structured narrative suggests, in an unsentimental manner, that the inner struggle to understand oneself can be redemptive'   Judges, Bisto Children's Book of the Year Awards

''It is no easy thing to create teenage voices that are believable and that demand our sympathy, but that is what happens here and it is pat of the book's accomplishment that we come to care about both of them...This is a book for adults and older children that deserves to be widely read'

Maureen Boyle

'...a gripping first young-adult novel that will hold the reader's attention until the final page, leaving them sorry it is finished...it will suit any kind of reader, even those with no experience of or interest in horses...masterfully told, with a flowing sensitivity sure to be appreciated by teenagers. This novel is not to be ignored.'

Inis Magazine

'A highly impressive debut novel.'

Robert Dunbar The Irish Times

'...what sets it apart is the authenticity that Wilkinson gives to her characters...Wilkinson has a fine eye for description...told with aplomb and talent. I very much look forward to Wilkinson's next novel.'

Bookish